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Dealer Scams

Shootist

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You may be an upstanding person Shootist, but I think the lying customers are no better than lying salesmen. Go on the sales person blogs and forums. I do that from time to time for a little counter intelligence and entertainment. The stories are hilarious.
What about the never ending advice to tell the sallesman you are going to finance for a better price, or tell them you do not have a trade until they give you a price. Is that lying or a negotiating tactic. Just part of the game.
There a lot of bad salesmen and dealerships out there looking to take advantage of the uneducated, but if you know where the head of the snake is, they are easier to deal with.

If you want a good read, Edmunds did a piece some time ago called Confessions of a Car Salesmen. Very interesting.

https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/confessions-of-a-car-salesman-updated-for-2009.phtml
Oh, I agree that there are car buyers out there that are just as bad as some of the sales staff can be. I prefer not to be one of either of these types. What I am referring to is my most recent encounter with Hendricks of Concord. So, the dealer puts pinstripes on an addendum sticker when the vehicle obviously does not have any pinstripes added to it. Then adds in paint chip protection which comes as a standard option from the factory. Then expect a customer to believe that they did other things to the vehicle such as paint sealer? That is specifically what I am referring to, not the art of negotiation. For a dealership to attempt maximizing profit by deceptive practice of addendums and numbers games by promising one price online and not honoring that price upon arrival is just a shady practice. What if Lowes hardware did that or the grocery store? What makes it ok for a car dealership to do it?

I read that article on edmunds years ago when it came out. It is a good read. I have researched this topic extensively. I also have an appreciation for the car lot salesperson who spends stupid long hours at the dealership. This is more why I prefer a fair deal for both these days. I have had friends in the car sales industry and heard the stories you referenced first hand. I also know the time they put in and it is pretty ridiculous. Tire kickers suck too.
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Hootbro

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So took a trip to see their stickers and now they’re adding “high speed buffing” to their gladiators for a new car...

F6CD8ADE-EAD7-4D5C-B1A2-71088E390E09.jpeg


A010E5E0-0D88-4981-B485-87DF18DA13BB.jpeg
Typical Military area shenanigans.
 

Casique

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Once I see a dealer has added an addendum to the MSRP, I go somewhere else. Just did it at a dealer in Warrenton VA.
 

tncruiser

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Paying enough for a dealership to make a profit I do not have a problem with. I don’t typically even shoot for the lowest price or highest trade value like I used to years back. I understand needing to pay employees and keep the bills paid more today than I did when I was younger. But don’t be a lying douchebag about things like addendum stickers. This seems to plague the American car dealerships more than others from my casual observation but I may be wrong there or it could be just in my area.
"""Paying enough for a dealership to make a profit""""
A dealer will not sell a car without making a profit , when they accept your offer they have at worst accepted the minimum profit they will accept , there are many things that add to the profit , volume bonus being just 1 , financing always provides some and of course your trade. your responsibility is to get what you want at a price you are happy with not to woory about dealer profit, I once started to walk out of a Cadillac dealer when the sales guy said he was only make $25,00 on a 20 k sale (1985) I told him to find a more profitable customer because I was paying for this new caddy with $$S EARNED SELLING VACUUM CLEANERS and when i sold a $129 vacuum I made $50 and I didnt want to cheat him , he quickly changed his tune and said dont worry I make more on my volume bonus I told him I didnt care how much he made o how he he did it I just was happy with the price i was paying , as a side note proud day when I could buy a new caddy , happy day 3 tears later when that beautiful pos left on a tow truck to never be seen again
 

Shootist

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A dealer will not sell a car without making a profit
Exactly, and at MSRP they are making an adequate profit so the addendum is just a liar’s game.

What kind of vacuum did you sell? I sold Kirby’s for a brief period.
 

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tncruiser

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Exactly, and at MSRP they are making an adequate profit so the addendum is just a liar’s game.

What kind of vacuum did you sell? I sold Kirby’s for a brief period.
I sold kirbys door to door in high school and later owned a sales and service center we were high volume Oreck, eureka, hoover and Panasonic ,sold my my business in 91 . Then "worked"for a living for 10 years before retiring
 
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akneppers

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Dealerships will always make a profit, be it selling the car or service. I just cant stand those scams they do on the markup. They promote "Family Owned and Operated" but I'm dumbfounded on how this dealership stays open when they play these types of games.

Dealerships dont have to suck like this. I had my dealership there for the service and looking at the front, the salesmen were out front waiting like hawks. I mean I dont know how else to promote a change.
 

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Dealerships will always make a profit, be it selling the car or service. I just cant stand those scams they do on the markup. They promote "Family Owned and Operated" but I'm dumbfounded on how this dealership stays open when they play these types of games.

Dealerships dont have to suck like this. I had my dealership there for the service and looking at the front, the salesmen were out front waiting like hawks. I mean I dont know how else to promote a change.
There is enough of a churn of new rubes walking in the door to keep most dealerships with shitty business acumen to keep the doors opens than to rely on repeat customer business.

The days of either the dealership or customer being loyal to each other over multiple years and vehicle purchases has long gone. It is is all about the deal that is done that day with no regard to either party thinking about repeat business.

Customer survey ratings only mean what possible bonuses a dealership may get from corporate. But if a dealership is turning enough inventory by hook or crook, corporate does not care customer survey ratings and will reword dealerships for the numbers they turn.
 

MonkeySkunks

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I tried to buy a Rubi they had at Gulfgate in Houston a month or two or three ago (at the height of lockdown). They had a good online price that I was all set to pull the trigger and drive over for that weekend.

When I called them they had a $600 documentation fee and the price was $3k more than what they had listed. When I told them I didn't want any of that crap they told me it was already installed and they couldn't take it off. I would have been willing to discuss the tube doors because I like them and even the tint, assuming they actually added any, but to tell me you have already installed and can't take off, tube doors, phantom footprint, paint protection, interior protection, windshield protection plus two already free oil changes after I already called them on the BS means no sale.

EDIT: The stupid thing is if they had just listed the price online accurately instead of making up fake discounts I probably would have bought it anyway. It was a punk'n optioned pretty much exactly how I wanted.

Jeep Gladiator Dealer Scams IMG_20200708_111018
 
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DreamedofaJeepSomeday

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Dealerships will always make a profit . . .
In the long term that is obviously true, or they go out of business.

However any retailer may ocassionally sell at a loss, be it a car dealer or Sears. Sometimes they get in a bind to the point that short term cash flow becomes more important than profit.
 

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BAT

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Was talking to a dealer here in Houston area just a few days ago about a Sport S that is in transit and close to what I am looking for. Wanted to find out more about it as there was a discrepancy on color and also wanted to talk to them about price. He replied back if I was able to come that day and test drive as the pricing could change at any time. I said no I just had surgery and cannot drive for 2 weeks (Abdominal surgery). But would like to discuss the pricing of the truck. He replied back well you really need to come to the dealership to discuss that and also test drive the trucks. I again told him i could not drive but can still discuss price. He has not responded or returned any more of my request. Oh well. There are other salespeople and other dealerships.
 

Rickv100De

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Was talking to a dealer here in Houston area just a few days ago about a Sport S that is in transit and close to what I am looking for. Wanted to find out more about it as there was a discrepancy on color and also wanted to talk to them about price. He replied back if I was able to come that day and test drive as the pricing could change at any time. I said no I just had surgery and cannot drive for 2 weeks (Abdominal surgery). But would like to discuss the pricing of the truck. He replied back well you really need to come to the dealership to discuss that and also test drive the trucks. I again told him i could not drive but can still discuss price. He has not responded or returned any more of my request. Oh well. There are other salespeople and other dealerships.
Statistics state if they get you in the dealership they will make a sale. This is why dealers do not like when you walk out. They want you to make an impulse buy.
 

BAT

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Statistics state if they get you in the dealership they will make a sale. This is why dealers do not like when you walk out. They want you to make an impulse buy.
Yep funny thing was that just about a month ago the same dealership was all about you don't need to even step on our lot we can do everything over internet and even bring the vehicle to you to test drive. Bad thing or them is that many more dealerships all have more stock rolling in and then will have the 2021 stock coming in so there will be more to choose from if they don't want to sell
 

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Bad thing or them is that many more dealerships all have more stock rolling in and then will have the 2021 stock coming in so there will be more to choose from if they don't want to sell
I'm hoping that entices some of them to be a little more reasonable about the BS.
 

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Oh, I agree that there are car buyers out there that are just as bad as some of the sales staff can be. I prefer not to be one of either of these types. What I am referring to is my most recent encounter with Hendricks of Concord. So, the dealer puts pinstripes on an addendum sticker when the vehicle obviously does not have any pinstripes added to it. Then adds in paint chip protection which comes as a standard option from the factory. Then expect a customer to believe that they did other things to the vehicle such as paint sealer? That is specifically what I am referring to, not the art of negotiation. For a dealership to attempt maximizing profit by deceptive practice of addendums and numbers games by promising one price online and not honoring that price upon arrival is just a shady practice. What if Lowes hardware did that or the grocery store? What makes it ok for a car dealership to do it?

I read that article on edmunds years ago when it came out. It is a good read. I have researched this topic extensively. I also have an appreciation for the car lot salesperson who spends stupid long hours at the dealership. This is more why I prefer a fair deal for both these days. I have had friends in the car sales industry and heard the stories you referenced first hand. I also know the time they put in and it is pretty ridiculous. Tire kickers suck too.
Hendricks is ridiculous...do not know how they even sell cars...
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